Why the most Serum presets are garbage?

Discussion in 'Presets, Patches' started by ambbe, Dec 31, 2018.

  1. ambbe

    ambbe Ultrasonic

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    Yes. I also like to live in a good house and I do not build it and go in a good car and I do not manufacture it
     
  2. vector99

    vector99 Kapellmeister

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    lol yep i dont use serum :D
     
  3. Rooster Cogburn

    Rooster Cogburn Member

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    I agree that Serum has so many presets (some good, many not so good) b/c it is a popular and easy to program synth. However, I disagree that w/ the sentiment that it's not a good synth and can only do the "edm, metallic" sound people keep referring to. It's about the person behind the tools and what you bring out of it.

    We've reached a point where soft synths and technology are so good that if you can't get the sound you want then the issue is more than likely you, not the synth, and you probably need to continue to learn and hone your craft. Also, I understand a synth's workflow may click better w/ some than others, but that doesn't mean it isn't capable of certain things that you may not be able to accomplish with it. Serum is just as capable as any other synth and can be whatever you make it imo.
     
  4. Rooster Cogburn

    Rooster Cogburn Member

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    I'm sorry sir, but your statement is just flat out inaccurate. Of all the sound designers you named Luftrum and The Unfinished are the ONLY two who do not have available soundsets for Serum. Ironically, Bellatrix has two soundsets for Serum that were just posted on the sister site today.

    Just because a particular sound designer that YOU deem good does not design for a particular synth does not mean it's b/c it's associated w/ a certain type of "noise" and "subgenre". What if that particular sound designer is just more comfortable and knowledgeable about a certain synth and may not have had a chance to familiarize themselves w/ a new synth yet? What if they don't even own the synth to begin with? There could be a number of reasons. Aside from the fact that several of the ones you named DO in fact design for Serum, there are other talented (in my opinion) sound designers who design for Serum as well like Aiyn Zahev, 7 Skies (Standalone-music), Pluginguru, Echo Sound Works, etc. So again, it's about the man behind the equipment more than anything.
     
    Last edited: Jan 1, 2019
  5. Pipotron3000

    Pipotron3000 Audiosexual

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    It was the same with Massive : too many ppl making sh*tty presets for sh*tty music.
    Quantity VSQ quality (already said few posts above)

    Count HOW MANY banks are out every DAY for Serum ... you got it ?
    Serum got a name, like Sylenth or Massive.

    And so, instead of FEW ppl loving the synth and making good presets ... EVERY lamer on the market jump in the money wagon.
    Tada !!!
    Crappy presets all over the net ...

    NOTHING related to Serum qualities.
    I found Massive sounding a lot worse ...
     
  6. sardoumichel

    sardoumichel Member

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    I agree with you for the shit tons of useless dubstepish presets in Serum. But Listen to Arte Nuevo presets, they are absolutely playable and has some magic in.For designing basses Serum is the best IMO.
    The only cons are the pads, ridiculously heavy on processor
    Serum is one of the best synth and it's a sound designer dream, the worflow is top notch too
     
  7. wouala woualouf

    wouala woualouf Platinum Record

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    Some people will call me crazy, others will say 'you need to create your own sounds to really. ..clean your ears... turn the sound ON, etc etc, but
    I own a few good hardware synths, i own many virtual synths (slowly bought, 1 this year, 1 next year, last year, last last year..),
    and if course, i have tried serum many many times, played/previewed thousands of presets,
    And, DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT,
    I rarely find a sound that i play 1 note, one chord, and it feels like hh, man, this sound alone, could make a killer hook/break/whatever, with 0 effort '...
    No...
    With its 'perfect specs', perfect this, perfect that, no aliasing, no this, no that, it sounds so 'clinical' , so clean, so perfect, there is no dirt, no soul, no emotions. .. just a perfectly rendered waveform. With some effects, it becomes a little bit better. . But still. ..

    For example, i grab my waldorf Largo vsti i got a few years ago, during a namm/other show, where it was 50% cheaper, and most patches, even simple ones, sound 'analog', thick', sweet but powerful, smooth but agressive... and it's a pleasure to play.
    The same with Fxpansion Strobe 2....instant gratification. ..

    You know when an instrument is doing things right: you play a note or a chord, and it puts a gigantic smile on our face.

    THAT doesn't happen, with Serum. Sorry.

    Like drinking some champagne, we 'must' use some crystal glasses, because. .. we are supposed to do it.. but crystal or normal glass, nothing changes. When i approached Serum, i was like 'wow, I'm going to adore this. . I must adore this.. everybody is buying it, because it's the best vsti ever, for sure. Well...

    Of course, this is just a stupid opinon from one person. The 150 to 250'000 people who bought it, they absolutely love it (or because they paid for it, they are FORCED to convince themselves THEY LOVE it...)

    Honestly, offer me a Serum license with 300 full sound libraries, i won't install it.

    Offer me a vyper from adam swabo, i will play the first 30 hours with it without stopping!

    One day, a guy from a forum asked duda if he eventually wanted to create this or that plug-in/instrument.
    duda almost seemed offended, attacked. He replied, I'm not going to make things that are already selling well.
    In other words, he doesn't want to create something that people want, no, he wants to create things, no matter what, that he can sell millions of copies.

    of course, i hate that mentality. If you are making a video game, and you don't give a fuk about video games. . Don't expect it to have a soul.
    I think the same applies to Serum: it wasn't created to put smiles in people's face, it wasn't created to bring joy to people playing it, no, it was created as an item, with a great package and a great specs sheet, for people to blindly grab and buy a copy.

    oh, should i make another xy plug-in, instrument, sampler, with fantastic new, innovative features, that people will love ?
    no, because the market study said only this, this and this will sell hundreds of thousands of copies.
    Ok, let's create that robot, no skin, no blood, no soul, just a brain, and let's sell it.
     
  8. Rudy Manterie

    Rudy Manterie Platinum Record

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    Well if you want to produce music that sounds like garbage (ie chart music), these sets should be just the ticket...

    But yeah, the amount of shovelware - on all fronts, eg presets, samples, midis - is astonishing. Do those morons producing that shit actually make money with that?
     
  9. ambbe

    ambbe Ultrasonic

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    You're right. There are also some good sound designers in Serum (although few), like the ones you mention. You can also name Freshly Squeezed Samples and Vandalism. By the way Bellatrix always works with Spire (Analog Dreams is the only thing there is for Serum). What I want to say is that unfortunately the "industry" has chosen Serum to make rough and unmusical Dubstep / Trap / Hardstyle sounds. There are presets in Omnisphere that are worth 200 Serum, and that has nothing to do with the softsynth.
     
  10. Blue

    Blue Audiosexual

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    I love Serum,this synth is punchy,fast to edit,and musical for me,I use it a lot.But 99% of time I make my own sounds that will fit my song.
    It can do everything.I don't see(hear) many synths as good as Serum.It's a beast for sound design,its wavetable editor is top notch too.

    Massive and Serum are really enjoying to use for me.

    Presets are sometimes inspiring but most of time they are not adapted to your song,they have tons of FX(personnally I never use DLays and Reverb from synths,then it's complicated to mix),the length of the envelopes is not good,the arpeggiator pattern is not in your scale,too much modulations,etc...

    I like templates,simple presets,without FX,2 oscillators multi saw with 12db LP filter for example.

    EDIT: I think that most of the negative comments simply don't like wavetable synthesis.
     
    Last edited: Jan 2, 2019
  11. Blue

    Blue Audiosexual

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    Ok;
    ,show an example of a sound you like from another synth,please,I want to hear.
     
  12. Blue

    Blue Audiosexual

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    If you wish to sound "analog" watch this usefull tutorial(as usual with Freemasons)

     
  13. Blue

    Blue Audiosexual

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    Damn our tastes are different!!For me those are shitty synths,horrible to my ears,I tried them and I deleted them immediately!
    I don't know any synth that sound more metallic and digital than Waldorf largo.
    Seriously,Serum is 1000x better.

    When i read some people saying "Massive or Serum sound bad",please stop, I can't believe it.If those two are so succesfull it's because they sound pretty good.
    If you make crap it's because of you,not because those stynths are bad.Don't blame Serum.
    A lot of amazing artists make amazing music with them,everyday.
     
    Last edited: Jan 2, 2019
  14. Blue

    Blue Audiosexual

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    If Duda should begin to listen any guy with any question,I understand that he is offended.Duda is smarter than most of us here.
    I don't know him but I think he makes what he wants.Stop.
    And you @wouala woualouf ,you make everything that people ask you???I don't think so.
     
  15. wouala woualouf

    wouala woualouf Platinum Record

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    Of course !

    Ask me anything, and i will do it !

    I own several products from xfer records, btw...

    It's just i can't stay quiet, when i see some douchbag-y behaviors...
    I mean, why the phok people can't access the product's forums ? Often, if we want to learn something about a product, in this case, a plug-in, reading people s comments, announcements, etc, is the best way to know what's going on, before buying.
    Even worse, a user that owns a product, CAN ONLY access the forum for his product.
    I remember when i was a chtuhlu buyer, and i was like , hmm, let's see what people are saying about lfotool... or nerve... you try to go there, and bam... forbidden. Only registered users can access their product forum !


    What are they trying to hide ? You don't want no buyers to access forums ? Ok, why not. But when you buy 1 product, you should be able to access all the goddamn product forum(S).

    You would find such behaviors, in the stalin/lenin/franco/mussolini era... but not in 2015-2020.

    This is the kind of behaviors i can not support or tolerate. It goes against even my basic principles .

    Also, when a legit user, who already paid 400 or 500 bucks for several products, kindly asks, hey, do you think you could ever release a magnificent sampler plug-in/app, with many many special 'xfer' features...? And in 1/10th of a second, the duda guy feels so offended, so infuriated, that he would grab a shotgun and shot the user... come on...

    also, let's not be tricked by the 'coolness' ....
    Blue eyes, long blond hair... and any person instantly becomes that cool, friendly, warm person, almost like a brother

    The guy is doing this, to become rich. Nothing more, nothing less.
    'Ohh, duda is a cool guy'... really ? And why ?


    Again, how cool is that, to not allow registered/legit users to access other products forums ?
    Anyone trying to find some info before buying a plug-in, he won't be able to access the forums (and please don't say..ohh, he posts sensitive info, updates, etc, on those forms, and don't want everybody tosee it...).
    The only reason is, the forum is the main page where legit users who paid 50 to 200 bucks for a product can report bugs, can complain about problems, can express their feelings, if they like the product or not....
    ... and Duda doesn't want future buyers to have access to those comments. They want them to keep blind, and purchase a product because someone said 'ohhh, the gjy is REALLY COOL...bla bla bla.

    He was lucky to 'work' with deadmouse when deadmouse was starting to grow... that free 'advertising' helped him 5'000%.
    Today, his serum instrument, more than 50% was coded by other devs and companies. He definitely has some limits, can't know everything.


    Though, I'm curious... to see what his next plugin will be...
    Because, it must:
    -sell super well
    -there can't be a lot/no competition products
    -it must have some unique features
    ...
    I don't see him releasing a sampler and competing with kontakt, halion, and many others
    Compressors, there already exists hundreds and hundreds
    Eqs...thousands.. and really good ones, like elysia, flux...fabfilter, etc etc
    channel strips... waves, etc, have thousands, api, neve, etc emulations are released every single week

    Maybe a great delay... a mix of boz digital labs + uvi visuals + ... ?

    maybe a new synth ? There are 50+ vstis doing wavetable crap... a ton of subsctractive , as sylenth1...
    He won't release a new vst instrument, unlesshe can be sure it will sell hundreds of thousands of copies...


    in another hand, i appreciate
    - he responds personally to all emails
    -he is ready to lower the price a bit, if you are nice
    -he uses a simple serial number as copy protection, no need to do challenge/response kind of shit, and even with a simple serial, his Serum synth hasn't been 100% cracked yet, timebombs, etc.

    will i buy a future xfer product ? 100% garanteed YES

    ps- sorry for long comment.
     
  16. Nana Banana

    Nana Banana Guest

    I personally think Serum was over-hyped from day 1. I've played with it a bit, but for my wav-table tastes, I found the workflow and abilities of ANA 2 to be more than I needed. I will say my favorite Serum 3rd party presets are Soundethers ambient packs, but they are very genre specific, and whether anyone else likes them is certainly subjective. If I really had my way, and of course the money, I would trade all of these virtual wav-table synths for a good ole PPG Wave 2 with Waveterm. And at the very least an Ensoniq Fizmo hooked to a Strymon BigSky would be just dandy!
    :yes:
     
  17. DoubleTake

    DoubleTake Audiosexual

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    Yes the reason there are so many crappy Serum presets is that even I can make them.
     
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